Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1887-01-13

admission to this institution during the
next three years. If thought best, aud
most desirable, in the event of an appro
prlation being made by the Legislature
next winter sufficient to cover the cost of
constructing ward buildings, this appro-
prlation might be used only as needed.
That is, additional ward buildings could
be constructed, year by year, as needed.
/ would, therefore, most respectfully urge
that an appropriation for not less than
four ward buildings, having capacity
for fifty patients each, be made by the
next legislature.
COST OF MAISTENANCE.
The average. cost of maintenance, per
capita, for board and clothing, has been
$l35, go per year; and at the same rate,
for the remaining eight months, 800, 40;
making 1925 per capita for the twenty
months since the institution was opened.
The cost per capita, including the pay of
attendants and other employees, has been
$l97.79 per annum. This amount is ex-
tremely small when we consider that the
average number, for the whole twenty
months, was only one hundred and six,
and the extra expense attending the COM
mencement OF new institution, where
everything has to be bought, and nothing
realized from the garden or farm. The
average cost is also very low, as com
pared with long estab, ishcd institutions
for the insane. Concerning this, Dr..
Archibald says: "By comparison with
seventy three insane hospitals in different
States, after carefully examining their
reports, I find that the average cost, per
capita. was s241. These hospitals have
an average ranging all the way from TWO
hundred to one thousand eight hundred;
only few having less than four hundred.
These large numbers can be cared for
much more cheapy in prop rtion than
when there is the limited average of
little more than one hundred inmates"
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF GENEROUS AUD.
"In this report wish to acknowledge
various kind acts, and the generous,
thoughtful aid, in the way of entertain
ing and interesting patents, extended by
friends both IN jamestown and other
parts of the territory.
..On Christmas, in response to general
letter sent out by the superintendent, a
very large collection of suitable and use
fui presents were sent to the hospital TO
be distributed among the patients, and
these were received by them with mani
festatlons Of delight that would certainly
have we'll repaid the donors, had they
been present at our"Chrstmas Tree" en-
tertainment. Such acts Of kindness are
not lost, even upon poor insane people,
whose sense of appreciation is much
stronger and more acute than is generally
supposed. To many of Jamestown's ex-
cellent la.les our thanks are due for the
pains taken in sending to the hospital
suitable books, periodicals, papers, ETC.,
for the amusement of patients. -
A number of newspapers ais, kindly
contributed to the pleasure and benefit of
the patients by copies.
In the tables accompanying the super
intendent's report some interesting facts
and figures are presented. OF the one
hundred and seyenty-six patients in the
| asylum, one hundred and six are foreign
| born; fifty three native; and seventeen of
unknown origin. The fact that the ex
cess of foreign over native born patients
is fifty-two IS significant one. The civil
conditions of those admitted are: married,
seventy -fve;unmarrled. seyenty;widowed,
3.
The report of Steward Nickeus shows
that there is now about two hundred
and forty acres of the hospital farm un-
der cultivation, all of it in crop last sea-
son. Over two hundred and fifty acres of
the farm have been enclosed and are used
for pasturage, and two acres of fruit, four